1 sn Though ten were given minas, the story stops to focus on the one who did nothing with the opportunity given to him. Here is the parable’s warning about the one who does not trust the master. This figure is called “another,” marking him out as different than the first two.
2 tn The word “slave” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Grk “behold.”
4 tn Or “that I stored away.” L&N 85.53 defines ἀπόκειμαι (apokeimai) here as “to put something away for safekeeping – ‘to store, to put away in a safe place.’”
5 tn The piece of cloth, called a σουδάριον (soudarion), could have been a towel, napkin, handkerchief, or face cloth (L&N 6.159).
6 tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”
7 tn Grk “man, taking out.” The Greek word can refer to withdrawing money from a bank (L&N 57.218), and in this context of financial accountability that is the most probable meaning. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “you” as subject and translating the participle αἴρεις (airei") as a finite verb.
8 tn The Greek verb τίθημι (tiqhmi) can be used of depositing money with a banker to earn interest (L&N 57.217). In effect the slave charges that the master takes what he has not earned.
9 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Grk “out of your own mouth” (an idiom).
11 tn Note the contrast between this slave, described as “wicked,” and the slave in v. 17, described as “good.”
12 tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”